Self-adapting sleeve stretcher



Nov. 24 1925.

' J. H.'DUMBLETON El AL,

SELF ADAPTING SLEEVT STRETCHER Filed June 27, 1924 ii??? a;

Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATEfi PATENT OFFECE.

JOHN H. DUMBLETON ANT EDWIN" C LINDIBERG. OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

sntannarrme snnnvn sranronna.

Application filed. June 27,

T 0 all who-m it may concern.

Be it known. that we, JOHN H. D'UMBLn'rox and EDWIN C. LINDBERG,citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful.Improvements in Self-Adapting Sleeve Stretchers, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention is a self-adapting sleeve roller, and consists of thenovel features herein shown, described and claimed.

An object is to make a self-adapting spring operated device forinsertion into a sleeve of a coat or the like to stretch and hold thesleeve while the sleeve, is being steamed or otherwise operated upon,and adapted to form rolled edges instead of creases.

In our self adapting sleeve stretcher we utilize two curved members withleaf springs between. The leaf springs which are attached to the convexmember are slightly longer than those connecting the concave side of thestretcher. By this construction when the two parts of the stretcher arepulled slightly apart, the springs will force them wide apart and whenthey are pressed together so that the long spring passes beyond itscenter or supporting line, it is bent backwards and the action of thesprings is to hold the two sides of the stretcher to gether.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the drawings andspecification.

The drawings illustrate the construction and operation of aself-adapting sleeve roller embodying the principles of our invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the selfadapting sleeve roller collapsedfor insertion into a sleeve and for handling, as in packing andshipping.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the self-adapting sleeve roller partiallyexpanded.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sleeve roller completely expanded,parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged cross sect-ion on the line l-l of Fig. 3 andlooking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the selfadapting sleeve roller collapsedand inserted into a coat sleeve.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective showing the self-adapting sleeveroller expanded and upon a steam presser.

924. Serial No. 722,823.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation looking in the direction indicated by thearrow 7 in Fig. 1.

The details of construction and operation shown in the drawings are asfollows:

The mating side bars 1 and 2 are formed of wood and are curved in sideelevation to fit the curvature of a coat sleeve, and the outer edges 3and 4 of the bars are round in cross section. Leaf springs 5 and 6 aresecured at their inner ends against the inner face of the side bar 1 andthe leaf springs 7 and 8 are secured against the inner face of the sidebar 2. The inner face of the side bar 1 is concave and the inner face ofthe side bar 2 is convex. Each one of the springs 5, 6, 7 and 8 consistsof a main leaf 9 and a secondary leaf 10. The inner ends of the leaves 9and 10 are brought together and rivets 11 and 12 are inserted throughthe side bar and through the ends of the leaves. A clip 13 is securedtransversely against the outer side of the free end of the leaf 10 by arivet 1 1, and the ends of the clip are bent around the leaf 9 looselyso that the clip will slide freely upon the leaf 9 and so that the clipwill connect the free end of the leaf 10 to the leaf 9. The springs arepreferably made of heavy clock spring material. A hinge 15 connects thefree ends of the springs 6 and 8 and a hinge 16 connects the free endsof the springs 5 and 7. The springs 7 and S are slightly longer betweenthe hinges 15 and 16 than the springs 5 and 6 so that the springs 7 and8 bend more than the springs 5 and 6 when the device is completelyexpanded as in Fig. 3, and so that the springs 5 and G lay flat againstthe inner face of the side bar 1 when the device is only partiallyexpanded as in Fig. 2, and so that when the side bars 1 and- 2 areforcibly pressed together the springs 7 and 8 buckle slightly until thehinges 15 and 16 pass the plane of the center of the side bar 2, andcontinued compression will cause the side bars 1 and 2 to snap togetherand be held together in collapsed positions, as in Fig. 1.

When the collapsed sleeve roller shown in Fig. 1 is inserted in a coatsleeve 17 as shown in Fig. 5, the extending ends of the side bars 1 and2 may be forced apart, and then the springs will expand the side bars 1and 2 to fit the sleeve, as shown in Fig. (5. and then the expandedsleeve may be placed upon the press board 18 and the steam board 19applies as usual to steam and shape the sleeve. The device may be leftin the sleeve for any desired length 0t time and then removed.

The round outer edges 3 and e of the side bars 1 and 2 will produce aroll finish and will leave no creases, and this is especially desirablein the treatment of womens clothes and the like.

It is apparent that the principle 01 utilizing the springs substantiallyas shown may be embodied in other types oit. garment stretchers. Aninternal tranie could be made up as shown in the illustrations. and anexternal frame attached thereto to con form to theshape ot the trousers,woniens skirts or other articles it is desired to stretch. So long asthe co-acting faces and the springs are substantially the same asillustrated and described, other outer training or shape to the barscould be utilized.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention claimed.

o claiin 1. A self-adapting sleeve stretcher comprising a pair of barshavingparallel longitudinal curved inner faces, leaf springs cured attheir inner ends to the confronting faces of the bars, and hingesconnecting the free ends of the springs of one free ends of the springsof the other bar. the tensions of the springs being exerted to press thebars apart after their separation a known distance and the retraction ofthe springs being adapted to draw the bars together after theircompression to said dist ance.

2. A self adapting;- sleeve stretcher. comprising a pair of bars havingparallel longitudinal curved inner faces, one bar having a concaredconfronting race and the other bar having: a convex face, leat springssecured at their inner ends to the confronting tacos ct the bars andhinges connecting the tree ends of the springs of one bar to the freeends ot' the springs of the other bar, the tensions ot the springs beingexerted to press the bars apart after the bars are separated a knowndistance, and the springs of the convex eonfronting face being slightlylonger than the springs of the concave confronting taco that the barswill snap together when pressed nearly to a known distance apart to holdthe bars contracted.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JOHN H. Dlllll'l l? LETt )1? EDVIN C. LINDBERG.

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